Late 15th Century Italian Axe – Deepeeka

This well crafted axe from Deepeeka rather faithfully recreates an ornate Italian axe from the George F. Harding Collection in the Art Institute of Chicago. Dated to c. 1490 the axe follows a trend of arms and armor receiving a high level of embellishment or even ostenatious adornment whilst retaining functionality. Likely this axe was originally a hunting axe for a nobleman or his close retinue and even their tools distinguished them while out on the hunt, but it may have also been a symbol of office or authority for a distinguished personage that while more visually impressive than a simple hatchet would still have been a functional axe for tasks or self defense.

Measuring about 27 inches in length this axe is sized as a large hatchet and the length of its blade is a bit more than 6.5 inches long. It is stoutly mounted onto a tough haft of European Ash wood. The piercework and adornment on the C60 high carbon tempered steel axehead is excellently executed.  Weighing less than 2 lbs the axe does not feel excessively heavy in the hand and is a great piece for enlarging a collection or completing an ensemble with a piece that stands out!